Top Ten Myths about the Middle East Conflict

So much of the American press is steeped in sheer ignorance. Debunking these misconceptions with facts is a good start.

Sixty-one years after the birth of the State of Israel, the Jewish state continues to be assailed by its enemies. From the halls of the United Nations to the classrooms of major universities and in the pressrooms of major newspapers and magazines, attacks on the legitimacy of every move by Israel -- and even of the state's existence itself -- continue to be made.

What lies behind the calumnies and canards that are constantly thrown at the one Jewish state on the planet? In the Arab and Islamic world, the notion that any portion of the Middle East could be placed under Jewish sovereignty is anathema. Elsewhere, some of the brickbats thrown Israel's way stem from prejudice and hatred rooted in classic anti-Semitism.

But what about the American press, much of which is Jewish, and other American opinion-makers for whom the anti-Semitic tag doesn't really apply? The reasons for much of the slanted commentaries about the Middle East and biased news coverage has less to do with the ancient hatreds based in Europe than it does with sheer ignorance.

For all too many members of the press (as well as other Americans who like to think of themselves as being informed about the great issues of the day), lack of knowledge about the underlying facts of the Middle East conflict is commonplace. Myths about the State of Israel, its origins and its actions have found their way into general discourse in the academy and the media. Those who seek to stand up for Israel need to recognize that many of the problems that Israel has in getting its case across stem from a failure to debunk these myths and to answer them with the truth.

So here is a list of the top ten myths about Israel and the Middle East conflict. This list is by no means comprehensive, but it is a good start to understanding the heart of the problem.

Myth #1: Jews have no historic connection to Israel/Palestine.

A key element of Arab and anti-Zionist attacks on Israel is the notion that the Jewish presence in the country is a remnant of 19th century imperialism in which Europeans colonized and exploited parts of the third world. But far from being outsiders there, the Jewish ties date back 4,000 years to the very beginning of Jewish history recounted in the Bible and verified by much of the evidence of archeology that has been discovered.

Though the Romans expelled most of the Jewish population from the country, Jewish settlement continued without interruption throughout the last 2,000 years. In all this time, the Land of Israel remained a constant in thoughts and the hearts of Jews throughout the world, as it was remembered in their daily prayers and in their dreams.

Myth #2: Jews have no unique claim to the ancient and holy city of Jerusalem.

Though both Christianity and Islam have holy sites in the city, the Jewish ties predate that of any other existing religion. King David made Jerusalem the capital of Israel 3,000 years ago -- 1,700 years before Islam was even founded. Jerusalem never served as even a provincial capital during the centuries of Muslim rule. The entire city is sacred to Jews; only the Dome of the Rock has religious significance to Muslims. Moreover, in the modern era, Jews have been the majority of the population of the city since the 1840s.

As for freedom of worship, the only period during which all faiths have been free to worship in peace has been since 1967 when the city became unified under Israeli sovereignty.

Myth #3: The Zionist movement was never prepared to share the land.

From the very start of the Jewish return to their historic homeland in the late 19th century, it has never been the goal of the Zionist movement to uproot the Arab population or to create a state where only Jews could live. In 1922, the League of Nations' Mandate for Palestine was partitioned by Britain, with the east bank of the Jordan River reserved for Arab rule (it eventually become the Kingdom of Jordan), and the area between the Mediterranean and the Jordan being designated as the Jewish National Home. Dating back to the 1930s, every subsequent peace plan that has been proposed involved some sort of partition of the Western portion of Palestine. Though all of these schemes involved painful concessions for the Jews, the leadership of the Zionist movement and subsequently the Jewish state always accepted this principle of sharing the country.

Myth #4: The lack of an independent Palestinian Arab state is the fault of the Zionists.

In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition of Palestine between a Jewish state and an Arab state. The response of the Palestinian Arabs, as well as the rest of the Arab and Muslim world, was a categorical rejection of any scheme that allowed a Jewish state on any part of the land, no matter what its borders might be. No effort was made to set up an independent Arab state in the part of Palestine allotted for that purpose. In the aftermath of Israel's War of Independence, in which it repelled the invasion by five Arab armies, the West Bank, Gaza and half of Jerusalem, were left in Arab hands. But for the next 19 years when these territories remained under Arab control, there was never any consideration given to creating an Arab state there. On the contrary, the focus of the Arab world was on extinguishing the fledgling state of Israel that existed in the truncated borders left by the 1949 armistice lines.

In the years after the 1967 war, Israel has maintained a willingness to negotiate a peace deal based on the concept of "land for peace." Indeed, at Camp David in July 2000 and the following January at Taba, Egypt, Israel offered the Palestinians a state in these lands as well as part of Jerusalem. The answer from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was "no," and he followed up that refusal by launching a terrorist war of attrition that resulted in over a thousand Jewish deaths and even more suffering on the part of his own people.

Myth #5: The plight of Palestinian refugees is a special case of dispossession that must be redressed by international action.

In the aftermath of World War II, millions of refugees were created by the partition of India, the re-drawing of the map of Europe, as well as by the war brought on by the Arab refusal to accept the UN's partition of Palestine. Only in the case of Palestinians who fled their home during the course of Israel's War of Independence, was there a failure to re-settle the refugees. The Palestinian refugees, whose exit from the country was caused more by a general fear of the war sweeping over the land than by any action on the part of the Israelis, were the only refugees who were kept in camps and not allowed to integrate into the populations of the Arab countries that received them. They were kept homeless as a means of maintaining the illusion that the creation of Israel could be undone. Subsequent generations of this population have been raised in these camps and inculcated in an irredentist ideology whose premise is the rejection of any Jewish state. They remain the wards of a UN agency (the United Nations Relief Works Agency) that is devoted to perpetuating their status as refugees at a cost of billions of dollars on international aid.

On the other hand, several hundred thousand Jews living in Arab countries were evicted from their homes during this same era and forced to flee to safety in Israel or the West -- where they were integrated into society.

Myth #6: The occupation of eastern Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights in 1967 was the result of an Israeli war of aggression.

In May 1967, Egypt launched a blockade of Israel's southern port of Eilat. Egyptian and Syrian forces massed on Israel's borders. Egypt demanded, and got, the UN peacekeeping force that separated their army from Israel in the Sinai, to withdraw. Egyptian dictator Gamal Abdul Nasser and other Arab leaders told their peoples that they would soon launch a battle of annihilation that would result in Israel's destruction. When international diplomacy failed to get the Arabs to back down, Israel decided that it would not wait to be attacked and launched a defensive war to forestall the Arab assault.

After the war ended in a sweeping Israeli victory, Israel stated its willingness to make peace, but an Arab summit conference a month later answered with three no's. No peace. No recognition. No negotiations.

Myth #7: Jewish settlements are the main, if not the sole, obstacle to peace in the Middle East.

Though many legal sources claim that Jewish settlements in the West Bank are illegal, the fact remains that the right of Jewish settlement in those lands was guaranteed by the Mandate for Palestine of the League of Nations. This territory was never part of any other sovereign state and its final legal status is subject to negotiations that must be concluded between the competing parties. Until such time as there is a peace accord which gives one side or the other sovereignty in this territory, it is inaccurate to refer to this land as belonging to one side or another.

Twice before, Israel has shown a willingness to uproot Jewish communities for the sake of peace: in the Sinai (given back to Egypt in the 1979 Peace Treaty) and in Gaza (from which Israel withdrew unilaterally in 2005). The existence of settlements in these areas is no bar to a peace deal under which they might be withdrawn.

Myth #8: The failure of the Oslo peace process was the result of actions by hard-line Israeli governments.

The Oslo process was embraced by Israel in the hope that an offer of land would be met with genuine peace. However, the result of years of negotiations and various Israeli withdrawals has not been peace. From the start of Palestinian Authority rule in the West Bank and Gaza in 1994, Palestinian leadership has encouraged terrorism against Israel and fomented hatred against the Jewish state -- while "peace education" is promulgated in Israeli schools. Throughout the 1990s as Israel signed several agreements that gave the Palestinians more autonomy, the corrupt PA leadership continued to tolerate and even fund terror groups. In 2000, Yasser Arafat refused Israel's offer of a Palestinian state in virtually all of the West Bank and Gaza as well as part of Jerusalem -- and launched the terror offensive known as the Second Intifada.

Though all Israeli governments have, at times, been forced to reply with force to terrorist attacks from Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank, all have stated a willingness to negotiate a peace. Today the Palestinians are split between the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas which is too weak to make peace and Hamas, the rulers of Gaza, who reject it under any circumstances. Both factions reject the legitimacy of a Jewish state.

Myth #9: The Arab-Israeli conflict is the key to all of America's political, diplomatic and military problems in the Middle East.

The battle over Israel/Palestine is but one of many disputes in the Middle East. The rivalry between the two great Muslim religious strains, Shia and Sunni, has been the source of more wars and more bloodshed than any battle between Arabs and Jews. Similarly, the tensions between Persians (modern day Iran with its Islamist rulers and nuclear ambitions) and Arabs is another perennial conflict that predates the renewal of Jewish sovereignty in the region.

Even more to the point, the conflict between radical Islamists who seek to impose their religious and political views on the rest of the Muslim world, and those who oppose them in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, has nothing to do with Israel or the Palestinians. It is this schism which is at the core of the rise of Al Qaeda and the Taliban. It is this battle for the soul of Islam that gave the impetus to the 9/11 attacks, not the dispute over the borders of the Jewish state.

Though Israel's foes claim that resentment over its creation fuels Arab and Islamic resentment of the West, such sentiments long predate the rise of Zionism. The clash of civilizations between Islam and the West was the cause of wars between European nations and Muslim countries for centuries with no Jewish involvement. Linking world peace to a resolution of the Palestinian conflict is just another tactic of rejectionist groups bent on perpetuating the conflict and diverting attention from the real issues.

Myth #10: American support for Israel is the result of the manipulations of the U.S. government by Jews.

Support for the return of the Jews to their ancient homeland dates back to the very beginning of American history. Sympathy for the idea of a renewed Jewish state is rooted in the faith of most Americans, as well as in their belief that the persecuted Jewish people were entitled to find a new life in their old home. From the very beginnings of the Zionist movement, it found both a welcome and support from large numbers of Americans. In the aftermath of the Holocaust that support became even greater.

Today, the overwhelming majority of Americans of all faiths and both major political parties see Israel as a friend and an ally. They need no prodding from a Jewish lobby to understand that the alliance with the Jewish state is based on common values and a shared belief in democracy. While Israel's supporters in Washington are vocal and proud of it, their financial clout is dwarfed by that of an oil industry and other factions with a vested interest in appeasing Arab dictators and monarchs. But the American people's identification with Israel and their sense of solidarity with it have prevailed because these ideas are rooted deeply in American history and tradition.

Visitor Comments: 36

(36)
Vince,
August 13, 2009 5:45 PM

Great Info

This is a really great top ten list, I think it helps dispel a lot of misconceptions that are out there. It is so easy to be fooled by the mainstream media into thinking what they want you to believe. Anyone can post their own list to our site http://www.toptentopten.com/. The coolest feature is you can let other people vote on the rankings of your list.

(35)
cynthia,
July 14, 2009 11:57 PM

our propagana machine on a world basis is v-poor

we need to educate the world on our history with Israel and its expulsion of jews since the beginning of jewish history.

(34)
Jerrold L. Sobel,
July 12, 2009 8:47 PM

Absolutely Excellent

Every friend of the Jewish people should distribute this synopsis to everyone on their emial lists. Likewise, when reading Judeophobic articles or comments, these are wonderful retorts to the most common myths. Kudos to the author...Jerrold L. Sobel

(33)
David Siegel,
June 30, 2009 5:12 PM

Jews have been a plurality in Jerusalem since the 1840s but a majority since the 1920s.

Generally, very good but one small historical inaccuracy. Jews have been a plurality in Jerusalem since the 1840s but a majority since the 1920s.

(32)
Anonymous,
June 15, 2009 2:00 AM

Hi, I'm from US/central Ohio area and support Israel's right to exist.And Their right to ALL the Land given them by Abraham. The article : Israel Update-Top Ten Myths about the Middle East is the most truthful and honest explanation of every question I have ever seen in one article.... It gives an accurate account of history from past to present day...
The format in which you presented the Topic was very easy to comprehend and even my 6 year old grandson was able to understand.
Sha'alu Shalom Yirishalyam
thank you ...

(31)
kitten,
June 13, 2009 6:05 PM

Thanks for the information. Let's also watch that we don't judge all Arab's with one view because you will Isolate the ones who may want peace. Their is probably some even if few. There may even be more than you know.

(30)
Elias Ghosalkar,
June 12, 2009 7:14 AM

The world is full of Amalekites

This article adds to a long list of detailed historical evidence with regards Jewish claim on the Holy Land of Israel. But we have to be aware of the fact that today we are surrounded by Amalekites who seek our (Jewish) destruction at any cost and these anti-semites cannot be defeated by propogation of truth because it doesnt matter to them. I truly appreciate this effort of enlightening like minded people who ideally would be obilivious to these facts but I also feel we should take this fight further to the enimies camp and not just stop at educating the world about jewish history and legitimacy of its claim on the Holy Land.
We have to seek guidance in the Torah and do what is necessary to overcome these Amalekites once and for all. Bezrat Hashem

(29)
David Algaze,
June 11, 2009 5:14 PM

The Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people

While it is true that successive Israeli leaders have been willing to trade "land for peace" and their rebuff would normally justify Israel's holding on to the land until there is a peaceful partner, this should not be construed as the ideal state. The land of Israel was the site of the creation of Jewish civilization and no other people ever created a state within its borders or developed any culture or contributions to humanity from that territory. Even the Arabs who now claim to be "palestinians" (an appelation that is itself kidnapped by the Arabs as Palestine referred to the entire area west of the Jordan thus making present Israelis "palestinians" too as they were during the British Mandate)did not create such a state when they were holding on to tthat territory from 1949 until 1967. There is no reason to suggest that this "land for peace" is justified. In addition to history, the international community awarded this area to the Jews and it should remain therefore part of the Jewish people without apology. If this arrangement by the League of Nations is to be voided, then why should other decisions remain valid? What is the justification to preserve Jordan, Syria, Iraq--all of which were created by the same international authority. If the Jewish people has no right to the entire area west of the Jordan, then no oter nation on earth has any legal right to its territory anywhere. No, it is not a myth: the land of Israel was is and will be always part of the Jewish heritage. Any other arrangement betrays history, law and the universal order.

(28)
ray,
June 11, 2009 2:59 PM

CORRECTION

The Palestinians don't want the land of israel they just want to kill Jews.

(27)
sol danhi,
June 10, 2009 12:01 PM

arabs that know this will still deny it!

most people that agree with the arabs spew their hatred because they are genuine anti-semites and usually have a very low i.q. what can you expect from ignorant people that are jealous of israels accomplishments. let them live in an arab country for a few months and see how much freedom they will have if they are a christian and carrying a new testament bible. they will surely be supprised. then send them to israel and they might learn something about freedom. i love it when i hear that a young lady spews her love for the arabs but if she were to live in saudia arabia i am sure she will be supprised on the limits of her freedom to open her mouth, where if she went to israel she would be free to expose all of her opions without fear! wake up all of you anti-semites and realize that one day the muslims will have you on your knees with a prayer rug and you won't have any freedom of religion. their goal is to convert the world to muslims by force!

(26)
avraham fisher,
June 9, 2009 9:38 AM

"Love truth and peace"-zecharya

The prophet zecharya teaches us that in order to achieve peace to have first and formost to pursue truth your article has done a great service to achieve this goal "yishar koach"

(25)
Marlene,
June 9, 2009 8:53 AM

Thanks

Thank for the Infomation. Despite the enormous amount of information on the web I am astonished at the level of ignorance concerning Jewish history.

(24)
jenny,
June 9, 2009 7:00 AM

it is true,very true!all is true! bravofor author!

(23)
Anonymous,
June 9, 2009 5:32 AM

Myths are irrelevant.

Major non-myths about the Middle East Conflict (IMHO)

Ø The Almighty is running the world.
Ø He has a historic purpose that He will achieve and this critically involves the Jewish people and Israel.
Ø The halachic qulaity of these actions play a significant role in determining the way in which He brings about His ends.
Ø Politics and people’s false beliefs are just part of the way in which He brings it all about.

All the rest is bunkum.

(22)
Anonymous,
June 8, 2009 10:49 PM

Great article. In addition...

Anthony's comment was the best. I was practically rolling with laughter. I don't think it's nice to let people who are in the throes a good drug infusion to post, but it it happens, we should at least enjoy it.
For those who took it seriously- enjoy the comic relief of some good old fashioned foaming at the mouth, and save it for the middle of a really hectic day!

(21)
Anonymous,
June 8, 2009 4:26 PM

Obama needs to be educated - fax it!

It is clear that President Obama needs to understand this basic history. I have heard that faxing him (and your representatives and senators) can be effective. I regularly write to him to express my concerns. Obama''s fax number is: 202-456-2461. As for Beverly''s comment, it is well-documented that many who claim long-standing "Palestinian" descent were merely immigrants themselves from Morocco, Egypt, Syria, etc. in search of gainful employment by the Jews who were actually doing something with the land on which no permanent settlements by Arabs had existed for decades. They only needed to be there for as little (if memory serves me) as 5 years, and the Brits gave them "Palestinian" status. Oy! So now you have hundreads of thousands of Moroccans, Egyptians, and Syrians from just 65 years back proclaiming their permanent status on the land. There were some Arabs who were indigenous to the area - but they were in a vast minority to the overall Arab populace that were recent arrivals in the 1930''s and 1940''s. And that has been documented - and that needs to be understood.
One last comment: if he said "the Arab States'' unconditional recognition of the Jewish state of Israel" as many times as he says "settlements are the obstacle to peace", we may be able to have a conversation. But he now seems to be on this one-issue soap box, and frankly it is boring and ill-directed.

(20)
ben,
June 8, 2009 1:45 PM

This is the most exciting time ever. The scripture can never fail.

(19)
Zamira Rajchgod,
June 8, 2009 1:12 PM

There are no such people as the "Palestinians

On my birth certificate, under my father's nationality it's written "Palestinian", written by the "Bloody British". Therefore, I am a Palestinian - a Jewish one. That's because before 1948, our country was called Palestine. Israel gave the Arabs, Sinai & recently Gaza, and what did they do, NOTHING with that land but use it to fire rockets upon Shilo and Ashkelon. There is no such thing as "land for peace". BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT PEACE - THEY WANT LAND, ALL OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL. And the stupid Americans don't get it. The problem is some Israelis don't get it either. Only HaShem can help us!!!

(18)
DickardF,
June 8, 2009 12:34 PM

Confusion

I have Liberal Democratic friends who have asked me "not to confuse them with facts".
The MSM is made up of Liberal Democrats.
'nuff said?

(17)
Beverly Kurtin,
June 8, 2009 1:45 AM

Who are the Palestinians, anyway?

The number one myth is that there are a Palestinian people who have for years had an independent state in the disputed areas. Arafat was born in Egypt! There has never been any such entity as an independent Palestinian people except for the Jews who have lived in the land for over 2,000 years.
How and when the Arabs took the name Palestinian upon themselves happened, lest I am in error, in 1967 and for some reason Israel legitimizes them.
Prior to the State of Israel, the Jerusalem Post was the Palestinian Post and Jews traveled under a Palestinian passport.
Gaza was taken from Egypt in ’67. The so-called West Bank was taken from Jordan.
NOT ONE CETIMETER OF PALESTINIAN LAND WAS TAKEN. Why is that fact forgotten?
Although I am for President Obama, someone has to get it through his head that the “settlements” are being built on basically what is a no-man’s land.
But let me caution you that unless we Jews stop our petty arguing and fighting against each other, the world will take advantage of our mutual stupidity and use our pettiness to pry us apart. That is how we lost the Second Temple.

(16)
Gary Katz,
June 7, 2009 10:04 PM

Eh?

Hey, Anthony...
You want to explain that again, in English?

(15)
Richard,
June 7, 2009 6:40 PM

Anthony appears more as if attempting to impress others with his use of words, than providing any common sense solution. By-the-way Anthony, whom is your pick for being the big brother? Until the radical religious elements of the Arab world learn they don't represent G-d's gift to the world, there will be no peace in all the Middle East.

(14)
Anonymous,
June 7, 2009 6:21 PM

Do you have your blinders on?

That's an address to the world that does not believe the Jews belong in Israel.Hashem set His name there. By the way the land is not to be given away, it belongs to G-d. The Muslims remind me of a dog. If I piss on this rock then it's mine and you can't live here. It' a pity that this fight will continue until the time of Messiah.May He come quickly. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

(13)
Marilyn,
June 7, 2009 6:14 PM

The Lord God gave Israel to the Jews!

I was so angry hearing Obama say that the USA is a country of Muslims. I am increasingly angry with all of the countrys that are against Israel, the Jews are the chosen people of God and he gave them the land of Israel. I don't understand why so many Jews in the United States are pro Arab, pro Obama instead of on the side of Israel, have they forgotten the holocaust? God bless Israel and please enlighten the Jews worldwide.

(12)
Johanna,
June 7, 2009 6:03 PM

myths and facts

Perhaps Anthony would have a less smug directive for re-evaluation had he actually lived in The Land at any time from 1900 through 2009.

(11)
Elsa,
June 7, 2009 5:58 PM

Counselling cannot help this situation since the Arabs refuse to use logical thought.

Children who are now adults who have been brought up on lies and hate and do not hink logically are not helped by counsellig of any kind since they refuse to accept any line of thought counter to hate.

(10)
Rosen,
June 7, 2009 5:37 PM

opinions, facts, and question on the ashkenazi ties to Israel

Anthony, according to a quote by a wise senator on www.jdstone.org, "One is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts."
As for my question on ashkenazi Jews, there are anti-Semites who will argue that ashkenazi/white Jewish people have no ties to the land of Israel due to them either descending from Khazars or that they are too European. I know it's absurd to argue that "Jews have no ties to Israel/Palestine", but taking it further, I just wanted to rest assure that ashkenazi Jews, such as myself and my family, still have their ties with Israel as opposed to either being descended from Khazars or too European within Russia, Ukraine, Belaruse, etc.

(9)
Anonymous,
June 7, 2009 5:25 PM

e-mail this to obama

i wish I have Obama's e-mail to forward this article to him and some other jewish supporters of his

(8)
Emil David Pimentelli,
June 7, 2009 5:22 PM

You don't need the 10 Myth is very well explained

What said you dont need any comments, anybody who read the 10 Myth it's well expalined
Shalom

(7)
Paul Goldberg,
June 7, 2009 4:52 PM

Tell Obama

Someone should give a copy of this article to our "student of history" president.

(6)
Anonymous,
June 7, 2009 1:43 PM

Jewish settlements

Israel withdrew from Sinai and Gaza.
The result of withdrawal from Gaza the entire world has seen. Because of this withdrawal, Israel started getting missile attacks, alongwith other day-to-day attacks and in the end, there was another war for which
Israel paid a heavy price.
There is no point in giving even an inch of land as if today the treaty will be signed, but tomorrow another of their leader will lead them and he will say I do not believe in that treaty. What did entire world do when
Israel was being attached by missiles? Did UNO or any other country could stop them? Whatever we do but they wont change.

(5)
Eidel,
June 7, 2009 1:03 PM

Myths

This is a wonderful and informative article. The problem is people who don't care will not read it and those that do already know this. How can we put this forward? I do like the idea of cartoons, info-mercials, and movies. That may help, no it will help but not Holocaust things, Israeli things.

(4)
Dan Klein,
June 7, 2009 12:13 PM

The Democrat drift towards anti-semitism

In the last 3 or 4 years there as been an anti-Israel, anti-semitism shift in the American Democrat Party. Now that they control the government this movement is even more pronounced. In order to find fair and objective reporting a person must search other souces outside the Mainstream media which is decidedly predjudiced aginst Israel. This is a frightening fact.

(3)
Stephanie,
June 7, 2009 11:50 AM

Tone

The initial tone of this piece was a big turn off. I like to post info. and articles from aish.com on Facebook for my non-Jewish friends to read and learn.
The tone of this piece and odd word choices would definitely turn many of my friends away.
"For all too many members of the press (as well as other Americans who like to think of themselves as being informed about the great issues of the day), lack of knowledge about the underlying facts of the Middle East conflict is commonplace." This is really condescending and rude! It may be true, but is it necessary to point out one's lack of knowledge of a topic before trying to inform them of something?
Too bad I can't share this article. I don't want to insult my friends.
shalom

People seem to be precious about themselves and they are willing to defend their precious opinions to the extent of smacking someone. Surely there is a big brother out there that can adroitly dissillusion the cultural patterns that are alienating people. When is the rational society going to evolve out of this oppressive nature of implanted positionalism ingrained in societies and cultures. Discharge I expect is the answer. That is listening with free attention so that people see for themselves how they have learnt to be contolled by other peoples beliefs. The discharge taking the form of laughter, trembling, stratching, yawning. Check out Re-evaluative Co-counselling. Anthony

I just got married and have an important question: Can we eat rice on Passover? My wife grew up eating it, and I did not. Is this just a matter of family tradition?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The Torah instructs a Jew not to eat (or even possess) chametz all seven days of Passover (Exodus 13:3). "Chametz" is defined as any of the five grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye) that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. Chametz is a serious Torah prohibition, and for that reason we take extra protective measures on Passover to prevent any mistakes.

Hence the category of food called "kitniyot" (sometimes referred to generically as "legumes"). This includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why?

Products of kitniyot often appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Also, chametz grains may become inadvertently mixed together with kitniyot. Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot were prohibited.

In Jewish law, there is one important distinction between chametz and kitniyot. During Passover, it is forbidden to even have chametz in one's possession (hence the custom of "selling chametz"). Whereas it is permitted to own kitniyot during Passover and even to use it - not for eating - but for things like baby powder which contains cornstarch. Similarly, someone who is sick is allowed to take medicine containing kitniyot.

What about derivatives of kitniyot - e.g. corn oil, peanut oil, etc? This is a difference of opinion. Many will use kitniyot-based oils on Passover, while others are strict and only use olive or walnut oil.

Finally, there is one product called "quinoa" (pronounced "ken-wah" or "kin-o-ah") that is permitted on Passover even for Ashkenazim. Although it resembles a grain, it is technically a grass, and was never included in the prohibition against kitniyot. It is prepared like rice and has a very high protein content. (It's excellent in "cholent" stew!) In the United States and elsewhere, mainstream kosher supervision agencies certify it "Kosher for Passover" -- look for the label.

Interestingly, the Sefardi Jewish community does not have a prohibition against kitniyot. This creates the strange situation, for example, where one family could be eating rice on Passover - when their neighbors will not. So am I going to guess here that you are Ashkenazi and your wife is Sefardi. Am I right?

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270), known as Nachmanides, and by the acronym of his name, Ramban. Born in Spain, he was a physician by trade, but was best-known for authoring brilliant commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, and philosophy. In 1263, King James of Spain authorized a disputation (religious debate) between Nachmanides and a Jewish convert to Christianity, Pablo Christiani. Nachmanides reluctantly agreed to take part, only after being assured by the king that he would have full freedom of expression. Nachmanides won the debate, which earned the king's respect and a prize of 300 gold coins. But this incensed the Church: Nachmanides was charged with blasphemy and he was forced to flee Spain. So at age 72, Nachmanides moved to Jerusalem. He was struck by the desolation in the Holy City -- there were so few Jews that he could not even find a minyan to pray. Nachmanides immediately set about rebuilding the Jewish community. The Ramban Synagogue stands today in Jerusalem's Old City, a living testimony to his efforts.

It's easy to be intimidated by mean people. See through their mask. Underneath is an insecure and unhappy person. They are alienated from others because they are alienated from themselves.

Have compassion for them. Not pity, not condemning, not fear, but compassion. Feel for their suffering. Identify with their core humanity. You might be able to influence them for the good. You might not. Either way your compassion frees you from their destructiveness. And if you would like to help them change, compassion gives you a chance to succeed.

It is the nature of a person to be influenced by his fellows and comrades (Rambam, Hil. De'os 6:1).

We can never escape the influence of our environment. Our life-style impacts upon us and, as if by osmosis, penetrates our skin and becomes part of us.

Our environment today is thoroughly computerized. Computer intelligence is no longer a science-fiction fantasy, but an everyday occurrence. Some computers can even carry out complete interviews. The computer asks questions, receives answers, interprets these answers, and uses its newly acquired information to ask new questions.

Still, while computers may be able to think, they cannot feel. The uniqueness of human beings is therefore no longer in their intellect, but in their emotions.

We must be extremely careful not to allow ourselves to become human computers that are devoid of feelings. Our culture is in danger of losing this essential aspect of humanity, remaining only with intellect. Because we communicate so much with unfeeling computers, we are in danger of becoming disconnected from our own feelings and oblivious to the feelings of others.

As we check in at our jobs, and the computer on our desk greets us with, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. Today is Wednesday, and here is the agenda for today," let us remember that this machine may indeed be brilliant, but it cannot laugh or cry. It cannot be happy if we succeed, or sad if we fail.

Today I shall...

try to remain a human being in every way - by keeping in touch with my own feelings and being sensitive to the feelings of others.

With stories and insights,
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